More than three dozen congressional Democrats, including key Biden ally Nancy Pelosi, have written to the US president urging a halt to weapons transfers to Israel.

“In light of the recent strike against aid workers and the ever-worsening humanitarian crisis, we believe it is unjustifiable to approve these weapons transfers,” the letter, signed by 40 lawmakers, said.

It said that any current and future arms transfers should be withheld until the US has conducted its own investigation into the Israeli air strike on Monday that killed seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen (WCK), one of whom was a dual US-Canadian citizen.

Israel on Friday dismissed two officers over the deadly strike, saying the officers had mishandled critical information and violated the army’s rules of engagement.

Aid organisations such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF) rejected the Israeli claim that it was a “regrettable incident,” pointing to the almost 200 other aid workers who have been killed. They described attacks on shelters, health workers, humanitarians and the UN as a “pattern” that  “is either intentional or indicative of reckless incompetence.”

Both the US and the UK have come under domestic pressure since the strike on Monday to halt arms deals to Israel. More than 600 British jurists, including three retired judges from the Supreme Court, this week called on the government to suspend its arms sales. 

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